Method of retarding the flow of subterranean water-courses



(No Model.)

S. W. TITUS.

METHOD OF RETARDING THE PLOW OP SUBTERRANEAN WATER GGURSES. No. 546,26. Patented Sept. 10,1895.

W/TNESSES: INI/EN TOR MMM-l ANDREW LGRAHAM.PHOTO-UMQWSMNGTOKDS.

UNITE-D STATES rnfrmvr Frise@ SILAS XV. TITUS, OF BROOKLYN, NET YORK.

METHOD 0F RETARDING THE FLOW OF SUBTEBRANEAN WATER-COURSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,126, dated September 10, 1895.

Application iiled January 25, 1895. Serial No. 536,214- (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SILAS W'. TITUS, a citizen of the United States', residing at Brooklyn, county of Kings, State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved Method of Retarding the Flow of Subterranean Water- Gourses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to the art of elevating Water in or through the tubes or casings of Wells by means of compressed air, and my invention relates particularly to the elevation of Water in or through such tubes or casings from a subterranean Water-course or stream, which, owing to natural causes, has a more or less rapid flow or movement in a determinate direction, the object of my invention being the retarding or impeding of such natural flow or movement of such Watercourse or stream Within its geological boundary at a place therein which, relatively to the direction of the ilcw or movement thereof, is below the location therein of the intake or intakes of a Well tube or tubes sunk thereinto from the ground-surface, whereby the Water of said moving course or stream will, by the natural pressure thereof, be elevated to a greater altitudein said well tube or tubes than that attained therein by said pressure when the said Water-course or stream has free and unimpeded iiow or movement in its subterranean channel.

To this end my invention consists in the method of retardin g the dow of a subterranean watercourse, which comprises the injection of air under pressure into a subterranean watercourse which has a flow or movement in a determinate direction at a series ot' points or places which are located in succession in the direction transverse of said Water-course or stream, in conjunction with the establishment of communication from the surface of the ground with said Water-course or stream at a point or points therein above the points Whereat the injection of said air is effected relatively to the direction of the flow of said water-course or stream.

In constructing what are commonly known as driven Wells, and particularly in localities Where the trend of the ground is a defined and continuous declivity, or Where the formation ot the geological strata is angular to the general line of the ground-surface, it is not infrequently found that the subterranean Water-course or stream which is depended upon to supply the wells has a positive and more orless rapid flow or movement in some certain direction past the intakes ot the Wells, and thatsuch flow or movement is sometimes so rapid that the velocity with which it passes the intakes of the Well-tnbes counteracts to a degree the tendency of the Water to rise in the Well-tubes by the natural pressure ot said course or stream, so that an elevation of the Water in said tubes to an altitude properly commensurate to the natural pressure of the said Water-source is not attained.

By means of my invention the iioiv or movement of the said water-course or stream may be retarded, impeded, or to a certain degree checked at a place or point which, relatively 'to the direction ot such iiotv or movement, is below the location therein ot the intake or intakes oi the Well tube or tubes, so that the natural pressure of the Watersource Will be enabled to act With better and greater efficiency in elevating the Water in or through said Well tube or tubes.

In carrying out my invention, air under pressure is injected into the subterranean Water-course or stream at a series of points or places therein which are located in succession in the direction transverse of the said Water-course or stream.

The means for practicing my invention is illustrated in the single figure of the drawing, wherein a vertical section through the earths strata is shown, with a subterranean Water-course or stream A flowing or moving through a downwardly-inclined channel A', being the surface of the ground, and B B B2 representing well-tubes driven or sunk through the strata into and with their respective intakes within said course or stream.

At O O C2 O3 are shown pipes or conduits, which are sunk through the strata into and with their respective outlets c c c2 c3 within said Water-course or stream, the said pipes or conduits being sunk so as to enter said course or stream at a place, relatively to the direction of the flow or movement thereof, below the place where the Wells B B B2 are located,

and said pipes or eonduits being arranged in a series in succession in the direction transverse of the said course or stream. The ground-surface ends of said pipes or conduits are adapted to be connected with an air-coinpressor or eompressedair receiver or reservoir in the Wellknown manner, and sueh connection maybe made through a valved tube D, common to all the pipes of the series.

Itis obvious that air underpressureinjected through the pipes C C C2 C3, arranged as set forth, into the moving water-course or stream A will aet to impede and retard the movement of the Water in its subterranean channel and to back it up to a greater or less degree, depending upon the pressure imparted to the air toward the intakes of the Well-tubes B B B2, and thus to counteract thetendeney of the Water to pass said intakes Without entering them, and that therefore the natural pressure of the watercourse Will operate to elevate the Water to a greater altitude in the Well-tnbes than it Will attain when the Water Course or stream has its normal movement in its channel past said intakes.

I have found in practical Work that in the ease of Wells sunk into a stream of the charaeter stated, in which the natural pressure elevated the Water in the Well-tubes through only a portion of their height, by means of my invention a continuous flow from said Well-tubes eould be attained, While in the case of Wells in which, owing to the great velocity of `the water-course, the natural pressure did not elevate the water in the Well-tubes to a level Whereat it could by known means be disehargeable therefrom, that by the use of my invention the Water could be raised to such an altitude Within the tubes as to enable it to be further :raised and discharged therefrom by means of air under pressure injected into the Water column in the tube through a pipe d, having Connection with aoompresseeair supply, as indicated in. the drawing', in the Well-known manner of a eompressed-air Wa` ter-elevator.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to seoure by Letters Patent, is-

The method of retarding the flow of a subterranean Water-course, which consists in injecting air, under pressure, into such a watercourse, having movement or How in a determinate direction, at a series of points or plaees which are located in succession in the direction transverse of said Water-course, in conjunction with the establishment of communication from the surface of the ground with said water-course at a point, or points therein above the plaees Whereat the said air-injection is effected relatively to the direction ofthe flow of said water-oourse; whereby the velocity of the movement of ythe water-course in passing the intakes of the well-tubes which establish the aforesaid eommunieation between said Water-course and the surface of the ground, may be cheeked or impeded and the Water surrounding said intakes be in a condition favorable to its efficient elevation in said welltubes by the natural pressure ot said Water-course; substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

SLAS XV. TITVS. lVitnesses:

A. S. FITCH, A. T. Ferns. 

